. . . I've been told that I write novels for email messages. Perhaps this is the way to go. I'll try to make each entry, or Gemstone, a "precious" one. On mediocre days, all I might be able to produce is a "semi-precious" entry. In any case, an entry might be a "neat" Gemstone--something that is uniquely mine.

About Me

I'm originally from northern California but now live in the high desert region of the southwest in the "Land of Enchantment." I've lived here for 14 years and call this place home. There's beauty here that you would never expect! "What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." -- Antoine-Marie-Roger de Saint-Exupery

Monday, November 24, 2008

The term "emo" is out there in the music world, the news, and comes up every now and then in conversations and in the school environment. I was wondering what it really meant and someone had the great idea to Google it. So I did. Amazing what comes up!

According to Emo Corner, when you are referring to someone as "emo", you are stating that they are sensitive, or that they have an emotional personality. Attached to the personality trait is the music, and in some cases, hair and fashion. Emo music is tied very closely back to the punk music of the 1980's where lyrics are direct descriptions of feelings, without metaphors, and the melodies are hard, but simple. Popular emo bands today were influenced by such 80's bands like The Cure (one of my old favorites) and include Suicidal Tendencies and Evanescence. (I've heard from and liked some songs by these bands :-))

Wikipedia writes, "In recent years the popular media has associated emo with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy, or angsty. It is also associated with depression, self-injury, and suicide." That is the scary part of emo.

Hair is dyed black and is spiky and cut chunkily. Makeup is heavy for both boys and girls. Clothes are dark and tight.

Besides emo fashion and hair, there is also emo poetry. Emo poetry is very harsh, direct, and full of stress and emotion. The main goal of emo poetry is to give the writer an outlet for these tormenting feelings. The poetry is often about suicidal thoughts, painful topics, and anger, and is considered art. Some poetry is not about suicide. Here is one from the Emo Corner website:

Somewhere beyond the flossy cloudsCupid has lost his romancing arrowsPlays sad sonorous tunes on his bowDedicated to all weepy lonely hearts

Howling chilly wind blows through the mistSounds of sorrow spread allover the placeFuzzy humid air submerges the inner lustLives decay slowly as the autumn leaves fall...

So now I think I understand the emo movement better after spending some time exploring the Google hits that came up. It isn't as scary as some people say it is. I can definitely think of some teens that are very emo-ish, even if they don't dress or style themselves that way (yet).

The decade and the name may have changed, but teen angst and pain is universal.

1 comment:

What's it like growing up emo? There's a new Emo memoir to put all the deep feelings into words. Help Is On Its Way - A Memoir About Growing Up Sensitive gives parents, teachers and counselors a hint. It's also a validating read for teens who feel misunderstood. Very hopeful, too.

Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug!

--Unknown

Name That Rock!

This is a special rock that once belonged to my Grandmother. She lived most of her adult life in Oregon and northern California but was born in Nebraska. She did do some traveling in the west and out east, so maybe got it from her travels. Somebody could have given her the rock. Nobody knows where it came from nor what the rock is actually called. And no, it is not "Steak Rock" or "Fossilized Giraffe Skin." The grains are silt- to sand-sized and in two colors. Both the lighter "matrix" color has the same size grains as the dark. Is it volcanic---perhaps a rhyolite or a welded tuff? Is it sedimentary--maybe a red sandstone or siltstone? I've had some great discussions going on at a couple of geology blogs and will update when I think I've solved the mystery! Send me a note if you've got any ideas by commenting on the blog posts linked below. (You can click the image above to get a larger view and can watch the slideshow below for more views).